Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1887-03-26
A CASHIERS STORY.

et1h O1O DStuA zCSiSl11Sl-COulClf
bank, if you please. l began work in
that situation nearly thirty years ago,
and the changes in our bank since then
have been few and far between. Some
OF the old men have been replaced; we
have increased onr capital stock; we
have a vault with time-lock; the d.
rectors' room has been refurnished
once or twice, but we have never
aspired to the frills and scallops of your
city banks. However, we have had
our adventures with burglars, sneaks,
and bogus craft men, and the city bank
cashier can teach me nothing new
about raised checks, counterfeit bills,
or sharpers of any grade. I got my
my eyes open very early, and there was
an adventure in it which may interest
the readingpublic.
Our bank was established when the
now thriving City Of R-was only a
town of $500 people. In those far
back days we had nothing like the
present burglar and fire proof safes.
The bank, which was a two-story build
ing with cellar, had sort of box
made Of iron, and this was inclosed in
brickWo'k in the cellar and called a
vault. A lock with a key weighing
half a pound was riveted to the iron
door, and when the job was finished
we all felt perfectly safe and secure.
There was a stairway from the cashiers
room. and every night the money used
to be taken down to the vault, and
every morning brought up again. Be-
for leaving the bank it was my duty
to see that the vault door was locked,
and then I hid the key behind loose
brick in the cellar wall. The bank
cellar was used only to store the wood
required for our two stoves during the
winter, and its two windows were Sc
cured by iron shutters, which bolted in
side. AS we built the bank building
other parties built a store, and they
were allowed to use our wall to save
expense. ..
Thus from cellar bottom to roof there
was only single wall dividing us, and
above the ground that was of brick and
a foot thick. The bank had been doing
business about a year when the merchant
who occupied the store failed in business
and the building stood empty for
several weeks. At length it was rented
again, and this time by a man who gave
out that he was al agent for some
Eastern machinery manufacturers.
He ran a PARTITION across the store
to make an Office in front and he cot a
desk, hung up some maps and adver-
Using cards, and announced that he
would soon be supplied with sample ma
chinery. He did not put up any sign,
and as he did not seem interested in
cultivating the acquaintance of the
townspeople his presence was soon al
mostforgotten. He seemed morose and
unsociable. People have laid the same
charge at my door. You may therefore
think it singular that James Dowd, the
newcomer, and | were soon acquainted,
and that had a decided liking for him.
Perhaps this was because he deposited
500 with us almost as soon as he reach
ed R--and promised to be a good
customer.
He seemed to like me, too, and after
three or four weeks, knowing that BE
was all alone and in a strange town.
invited him to my mothers house to
play mo a game of checkers. He
came, and all the family felt well
toward him at first sight. He was well
learned, q gentleman in speech and de-
meanor, and I felt a friendship for him
at once. He came again and again,
and he. found a warm welcome each
time. He also came into the bank
quite often, sometimes increasing his
balance and sometimes checking out,
and on several occasions I dropped in
to his Office in friendly way. He
never asked a question about the bank S
affairs, nor did he exhibit much curios-
ty in any direction. Our acquaintance
was begun in September and lasted to
the 18th of March. The 18th of March
[ observed two strangers in Dowd's
Office in conversation with him, but
that was a simple incident to be for
gotten in an hour.
just before the close of banking
hours he came in and checked ont his
balance, which was about $3.50, saying.
in an apologize way, that he needed
the cash to close up business deal. [
told him that the 18th was my sisters
birthday, and we should have a few
friends drop in for the evening. I
gave him strong invitation, and he
accepted it with seeming pleasure. I
did not see him again until noon the
18TH, and then he said he would come
early.
At5 o'clock in the afternoon it be-
gan to snow and blow in furious man
ner. We lived a long mile from the
bank, and the blizzard increased. so w
knew that none of our guests could be
expected to put in an appearance. A
note came from Dowd directly after
supper, stating that he had sore
throat and did not dare to brave the
storm, and / pulled off my boots and
sat down for an evening with book
OF history. Not a person came near
US, and it had got to be o'clock when
/ was suddenly seized with desire to
rush down to the bank: II was as if I
had been commanded to go, and before
! realized what ! was doing had